Greatest British Boxers of All-Time

Calzaghe WBO and IBF champ, Kessler WBA and WBC champ, Calzaghe won, Calzaghe = the best fighter at supermiddleweight, how is that not top ten?

 

Other British fighters have been the genuine ''champ'' at their weight too - Calzaghe wasn't the first fighter ever to achieve that.

Unless you mean top 10 p4p at the time, that he clearly was for a spell.

Some of his WBO defences featured absolutely brutal opponents who shouldn't have been in the ring with him, embarrassing stuff.

 

did they unify their division and become the first man to ever do so? that is history making

 

I'm interested to see why TBooze has him in his top ten

 

What about the fighters around his weight he didn't fight?

If the Roy Jones fight happened 10 years earlier he would have had his arse handed to him, James Toney would have beaten him, its more about who he didn't fight that stops me putting him in the top 10.

 

not all of those were Calaghes fault, Eubank told Jones to stay the hell away from Calzaghe, neither party really wanted that one, Jones knew Calzaghe was high risk low reward. And there was a time when Calaghe was screaming for the B-Hop fight, around the time he beat Byron Mitchell he couldn't have an interview without calling out Hopkins, a lot of people forget that

this is all neither here nor there, speaking purely on accomplishments, I think Calaghe, considering he made history, does make the top ten, evidently so does TBooze, some of you don't, that's fine. I think becoming the first ever Undisputed Super-Middleweight champion is an accomplishment that allows him into the top ten

 

I don't have a problem with your viewpoint, I can half understand it, obviously I disagree but each to their own, the debate on Calzaghe will go on for years to come.

 

His division is a relatively new one. Being the greatest at super middle is not as impressive as being a top five greatest flyweight if all time, like Benny Lynch is.

 

Calzaghe began his pro career, as an 'insiders' favourite, straight away that is going to get my attention. Calzaghe built on that initial push to get TV time and show himself the best of the non world class domestic fighters at 168.

Calzaghe then stepped up and was ready (and I suspect willing) to beat Collins. Despite the late change of opponent, Joe rose to the occasion and beat Eubank impressively. Sadly for Calzaghe, this was remembered more for Eubank's bravery in defeat, but it was clear Joe had shown he had substance to his early potential.

From there Joe seemed to plateau, and even dip slightly, particularly in the dull struggle with Reid and more exciting brawl with Woodhall. But there were still signs that Calzaghe might be able step up, what with the gutsy win over Brewer and the first destruction of Veit.

The victory over Mitchell was the start of Joe's next step up in class. The fight showed after a few years of signing it in, Joe was ready for the top of the division.

But it was a 'false dawn'. Joe spent three years seemingly determined to waste his potential, to the point that when the big fight came, against Lacy, it was a potential mismatch, Lacy was that far ahead of Calzaghe.

So to do what he did against Lacy was awesome. Joe then finally showed what he could do. The final three fights of his career were a showcase of his brilliance. He beat the only other fighter that mattered in his division (Kessler) and then beat the two American stars, who although both arguably on the down side of their careers, still had enough star potential to make a win over them truly significant.

An up shot of this was Joe was one of the few very good to excellent fighters to manage to retire with the '0' in tact. That then meant something. It pushed him above Benn and Eubank as the finest modern 168lber of the UK, and thus gained him a top 10 place in my list.

 

Seeing as he has has Walter McGowan and Alan Rudkin right at the back of the list (me and Booze have spoke about this before) you can take his list with a pinch of salt.

Great effort though and a lot of brilliant names in there.

 

Interesting viewpoint.

 

As mentioned there was one or fifty disagreements with this list. Nearly two years on there is aspects of this I do not like myself; Hardy over Hodkinson:scaredas:, to name but one!

I think come 2015 there will be changes, and Flea Man's 'concerns' will be a factor in my opinion, as he knows his stuff. But not just Flea Man, there are some exceptional posters on here, who's arguments you would be mad not to consider. There are also some excellent biographies that I have read since doing the list, that will change my opinion. Also the likes of Froch and Haye would be in contention for a place, as both turned pro before 2005, and they may not be alone...

 

:good Always love your insights Booze, you know that.

 

Haye should be disqualified for being a twat.

 

One boxer I've seen very little of is John Conteh, infact the only fights of his I've ever seen are his win over Ahumada and his first fight with Saad Muhammad, how good was he really? My dad said he was one of the best fighters around in the 70's and was touted for big fights at heavyweight, others have said he was good but pissed it all away through partying and never reached his potential.